


The Girl in the Tower

by jelazakazone, mushroomtale, susan_voight



Series: Girl in the Tower [1]
Category: Firefly, Merlin (TV)
Genre: Audio Format: M4B, Audio Format: MP3, Audio Format: Streaming, Community: pod-together, Community: pod_together, F/F, M/M, Podfic, Podfic Length: 30-45 Minutes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-28
Updated: 2012-07-28
Packaged: 2017-11-10 21:42:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/471001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jelazakazone/pseuds/jelazakazone, https://archiveofourown.org/users/mushroomtale/pseuds/mushroomtale, https://archiveofourown.org/users/susan_voight/pseuds/susan_voight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In this Merlin/Firefly fusion (Merlin characters, Firefly setting), Mithian discovers a girl imprisoned by the Alliance and is desperate to break her out.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Girl in the Tower

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Trouble with Witches (at least the evil get to go home early on Fridays)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/315317) by [Netgirl_y2k](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Netgirl_y2k/pseuds/Netgirl_y2k). 
  * Inspired by [[podfic] The Trouble with Witches (at least the evil get to go home early on Fridays)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/374926) by [growlery](https://archiveofourown.org/users/growlery/pseuds/growlery). 



> First of all, big thanks to [susan_voight](http://archiveofourown.org/users/susan_voight/pseuds/susan_voight) for collaborating with me. She was enormously supportive in the process of writing the story. Thanks to castmeaway for helping brainstorm. I had wanted to start this story where I ended it and it turned out that the story that wanted to be told was what happened _before_ the end. And thanks to jillbertini (on lj) for reading through and finding a few niggling spots.
> 
> I want to thank [quintenttsy](http://archiveofourown.org/users/quintenttsy/pseuds/quintenttsy) for recording [netgirl_y2k's](http://archiveofourown.org/users/netgirl_y2k/pseuds/netgirl_y2k) story. I love the circularity of inspiration that podfic inspired a podtogether story here. 
> 
> Cover art by the very talented [mushroomtale](http://archiveofourown.org/users/mushroomtale/pseuds/mushroomtale).
> 
>    
> 
> 
> Download the podfic (34:20, 23 MB) as an [MP3](http://pod-together.parakaproductions.com/2012/M-FF-The%20Girl%20in%20the%20Tower%20by%20jelazakazone,%20mushroomtale%20&%20susan_voight.mp3) or an [M4B](http://pod-together.parakaproductions.com/2012/M-FF-The%20Girl%20in%20the%20Tower%20by%20jelazakazone,%20mushroomtale%20&%20susan_voight.m4b), or listen to it streaming below.

Streaming embed of podfic:

* * *

Prologue:  
  
Morgana lay on the table, hooked up to tubes, wondering what they would do to her this time. This was not at all what she’d signed up for. She’d given up fighting outwardly; now she was praying desperately that someone would rescue her.  
  
****  
  
As the car made one more unfamiliar turn and the last hovercar disappeared from sight, Mithian’s heart sank.  
  
“Mother,” she said, anxiety growing, “How will we ever find our way out of here?”  
  
Her mother waved her hand, shushing her with the movement. Mithian concentrated on their surroundings.  
  
“Look up ahead. Guards! We can ask them for directions,” her mother said.  
  
“Um, that may not be a good idea. Haven’t you noticed the warning signs?”  
  
“You worry too much, Mithian. We live in the Core. It’s safe here. We have nothing to worry about.”  
  
Seemingly unfazed, her mother drove toward the compound despite numerous signs saying, “Interdicted: Do Not Pass,” and “Warning: Penalties Apply.” As they approached the guard station, two guards stepped out of a booth and stood imposingly in front of their car pointing large guns, one trained on each.  
  
Mithian’s heart hammered in her chest; she was sure the men could hear it for it was all she could hear. Her mother’s voice barely registered as she calmly rolled down her window and asked for directions. Mithian looked around for reassurance they would not be shot where they were and noticed faces pressed up to a window on the top floor. If her heart had been galloping up until this point, it stopped dead in its tracks at this sight. Those were _children_ in there.  
  
One face framed bright green eyes which flashed gold; now, her attention was well and truly caught. She’d heard about flashing gold eyes, but thought it was just urban legend. As she continued looking at those eyes, she felt the click of a connection and knew she had to get back there to free the girl.  
  
As they drove away, Mithian finally allowed herself to release her fear.  
  
“Mother! You could have gotten us killed back there. You need to be more careful and get your navigation system fixed. It’s too dangerous to be taking wrong turns.”  
  
The older woman waved her hand blithely. “Oh darling, you know that even with the thing turned on, I still get lost. Nevermind. It always works out just fine.” She turned to beam at her daughter. “Weren’t those guards just delightful?” she giggled.  
  
Horrified, Mithian tried to find words to express just how undelightful they were and gave up in the face of her mother’s oblivious cheerfulness.  
  
  
\----  
  
That evening, Mithian went on the Cortex to research the compound they’d accidentally turned in to. With all the physical security measures they’d seen outside the building, she expected to have a hard time digging up information. Finding the name was easy -- Helping Hands Hospital --, but discovering where the funding came from, or what their mission was, was not so easily uncovered.  
  
She yawned and stretched, looking at the clock to discover that it was past midnight and she needed to rise at 06:00. She pushed away from the desk and rubbed her face, promising herself that she’d look into it tomorrow.  
  
As she burrowed under the covers and drifted off to sleep, a vision of those green-turned-gold eyes flashed on the back of her eyelids. She pushed them away, grasping for the sweetness of sleep.  
  
When she woke, she realized she had dreamed about the girl. She furrowed her brow, trying to remember the dreams, but all she came away with was a feeling of intense need. She _had_ to see the girl again. There was something wrong. Some piece of information she needed to complete the picture.  
  
Pushing the covers aside, she tried to push that face aside too, so she could get on with her day, but found herself as haunted during the day as she had at night. So, that night, after her classes were done, she found herself on the Cortex again, looking for information about that hospital.  
  
“What did you do today,” Father asked at dinner.  
  
“Oh, the usual,” Mithian answered, somewhat listlessly.  
  
She listened with half an ear as Bron, her brother, talked about his day while she mentally went through the information she’d uncovered. He always had something to say, so it was easy enough to take a back seat to the dinnertime conversation.  
  
When she interrupted her brother’s recital of the different chemicals he’d decanted in science class, her family looked shocked.  
  
“Hey, that reminds me. Do you know anything about the Helping Hands Hospital?”  
  
Now they looked dumbfounded.  
  
“Why would you want to know about them?” her brother asked.  
  
She looked at her mother. “Remember when we got lost the other day?” After a brief nod from her mother, she continued, “Well, I got curious about what sort of building would need that kind of security, so I did a little digging on the Cortex, but it’s left me with more questions than answers.”  
  
“Why would you question the official information, darling?” her mother asked.  
  
Mithian hedged. She realized then that her mother had not seen the faces in the window. “Oh, I dunno. Something feels off, that’s all. I’m sure I’ve been reading too many thrillers lately.”  
  
Mithian’s father chuckled. “Well, I’m glad to see that something else has caught your attention and you are done mooning over that boy Arthur. Would you pass the vegetables, please?”  
  
And that was the end of the conversation. Bron got them talking about the upcoming Unification Day celebrations and she excused herself, appetite sated.  
  
Although her stomach was satisfied, her curiosity was definitely not. The memory of the girl’s face still haunted her and she was sure something else was haunting that girl. Determined, she put her best hunting skills to use and a few hours later was rewarded with a wave from an anonymous source.  
  
From:anon@rarequeries.com  
To: mithian@nemeth.home  
  
I have the information you are looking for. Meet me at the Blue Butterfly Cafe tomorrow at 16:37. Come alone and don’t tell anyone you are meeting me.  
  
Mithian swallowed upon reading this message, but her instincts told her this was legitimate and she was growing desperate. She didn’t know why she felt compelled, but she could not stop thinking about the girl with the green eyes and she needed to do _something_.  
  
As she lay in bed that night, the girl’s face swam behind her eyelids again and she voicelessly promised the girl she’d see her very soon. The intense _need_ she’d been feeling dialed down a notch, as if she’d actually reassured the girl with her thought, and unlike last night, she slept dreamlessly.

In the morning, she pulled on her favorite green synth-silk jacket with floral embroidery.  It gave her confidence.  She felt like she could take on anything in it. If she'd been the superstitious type, it would have been for good luck, but she didn't believe in all that stuff.

On her way out the door, she cried out, “Mom, I’ll be home late. I have to stay after school for a meeting.”  
  
She barely heard her mother yell “OK."  
  
The day passed in a blur. Mithian was distracted and several times she was chastised for not focusing on the work in front of her. Finally, the school day ended. She felt strung tight as a bow and was relieved to get on with the next step in her search for the girl. She burst out of school, mixed in with the flood of other students, and then separated from the pack at the edge of the property to head over to the cafe.  
  
Deep in thought and walking purposefully, she did not notice she had company until a hand bumped hers. Startled, she looked up to see Owain grinning down at her.  
  
“Nice day for a walk, eh?”  
  
“Er, sure,” she answered, a bit distractedly, wondering how she could ditch him as she sped up. He kept pace easily and she realized that a more direct approach was needed. She stopped abruptly.  
  
“Oh, Owain, I just remembered something.” She beamed at him, madly hoping her smile alone would persuade him. “I forgot my history data rod at school and I’m already late for a very important meeting. Would you mind fetching it? I can swing by your house on my way home before dinner.”  
  
Heart pounding, she waited for his reply.  
  
“Of course, my lady. I would be honored to help you and look forward to your presence this evening.”  
  
At this, Mithian laughed. “Owain, I would swear you were one of Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table if only we weren’t 2 millenia removed from that tale.” Grinning she added, “And that would make Merlin a real wizard, not just a wizard at cryogenics.”  
  
He caught up her hand and placed a light kiss on the back, tickling her skin. “Oh, but I am one of Arthur’s knights. Should you ever have need of my services, you are welcome to call upon me. It would be a great honor to fight for one such as you.”  
  
With that, he turned crisply and walked back the way they’d come. Mithian sighed with relief and allowed herself a moment to collect herself.  
  
She arrived a few minutes later at The Blue Butterfly and casually scoped the place as she walked to the counter to order tea. She understood now why her contact had chosen the place; the clientele was as motley a collection as she’d ever seen. There were women dressed to the nines who could have outdone her grand-dame and men who looked like they’d fetched up on the shore in storm, their garments so tattered she wondered they had any credit to pay for food. No one could look out of place because _no one fit in_. She hoped she wouldn’t be meeting with one of _those_ men.  
  
As she turned, teapot in hand, she bumped into a well dressed gentleman. Already on edge, she dropped the pottery with a loud _crash_!  
  
“Oh. Oh, no! I’m so sorry. Are you hurt? Is your garment stained? Do you need money for cleaning?” She wondered if there was something else she could add to her litany of apologies, but before she could continue, she found herself looking directly into ice-blue eyes framed by wavy brown hair. Although he gave her a kind smile, she felt her core turn to ice.  
  
“Please accept my apologies, sir.”  
  
“Now then, young lady, it was clearly an accident. All is well,” he said in what she felt should have been a reassuring tone, but which only served to heighten her anxiety.  
  
“Thank you,” she said politely, and ducked her head. She waved her hand aimlessly, trying to figure out what to do next.  
  
“Come, why don’t we order you a fresh pot of tea?”  
  
He helped her stand, holding onto her wrist, and guided her back to the counter. He stood by while she ordered, but when she turned to thank him, he had slipped away. Puzzled by the entire encounter and shaken, she decided to take her fresh pot of tea and sit to think things over and see if her contact would arrive, although it was now ten minutes passed the meeting time.  
  
She breathed in the aroma of the fresh tea, smokey notes overlaid the tannic acid and she swore she could sense the plants on the slope when she closed her eyes, even though she knew the leaves had been manufactured in a sterile lab. It didn’t lessen her enjoyment and the warmth seeped in, relaxing her.  
  
As she placed the cooled, empty cup on the table in front of her, she absentmindedly scratched at her wrist. She filled her cup again, determined to relax and _not_ get herself worked up before her contact arrived. She pulled her tablet out for added distraction.  
  
After her second cup, and almost an hour, had passed, she reluctantly gathered her things to leave. As she put her tablet back in her bag, a piece of paper caught her attention. She pulled her bag onto her lap and dug around, fishing for the scrap. When she finally grasped it, she felt oddly reluctant to inspect it, but given her desperation, decided it was necessary.  
  
She turned the small, folded note around in her hands, looking for clues. The paper had been recycled and felt different from the paper she was used to. It was rougher. Then she realized that there was a Chinese symbol meaning “freedom” embossed on one face and she caught her breath as she remembered the man she’d bumped into. He had worn a pendant with the same mark!  
  
What could it mean? She unfolded the paper, holding her breath and hands trembling. A spidery script proclaimed “The information you seek is near at hand.”  
  
Resisting the urge to crumple up the paper and throw it away, she stiffly folded it and put it in her bag. At that moment, Owain bounded through the door. Mithian felt her heart sink. She didn’t have the energy to deal with this puppy. She just wanted to go home, curl up into a ball, and cry. Her frustration had reached a new high with this bit of unhelpful information, but she put on her game face and smiled brightly as Owain reached her table.  
  
“Mithian! What luck that I saw you through the window in here. First, here’s your data rod. Now, you have to come see this. On the way back from school, I passed a big spectacle.”  
  
He tugged on her hand with his meaty paw and she let herself be cajoled away from the booth and tea shop.  
  
Outside, the sun felt far away, almost as far away as her goal. Never had she felt so thwarted. School work had been laughably easy and while she’d had to work at athletics, the target was always reachable.  
  
This cryptic message she’d just received left her less enlightened than when she’d begun her search and she was not in the mood to put up with another one of Arthur’s friends trying to console her when she had been done with the clotpole for weeks. Itchy from the contact, she wriggled her hand out of Owain’s and stood her ground.  
  
“I am sorry, Owain, but I must go home now. Please tell Arthur that I can see he’s put you up to the handholding today, but I am no longer in need of it. I have moved on.”  
  
As she had been talking, they had neared a big crowd, but Mithian did not have the reserves to deal with whatever sport was happening in the street, so she turned crisply and tried not to break into a run where everyone would see her.  
  
The trip home must have been uneventful for she had no memory of it when she tripped through the front door.  
  
“Mother, I’m home!” she called out. Her voice echoed in the empty house. She wondered at everyone’s absence, but felt quite relieved at the same time.  
  
Dropping her bag on the table, she went straight to her room to check her waves in private, in case something new had come through.  
  
Nothing.  
  
Dejected, she fell back onto her bed and rubbed her face with her hands. As she did so, something scratched her face. Puzzled, she opened her eyes to understand what was happening and had to close them quickly before something fell into her right eye and scratched it.  
  
Carefully, she touched her face and pinched the small item on her eyelid. She rolled up to a sitting position and looked at her fingertips in amazement. She felt her heart speed up as she realized _this_ must have been what the note had referred to.  
  
Holding her hands steady, she inserted the tiny card into her tablet and tapped on the icon. A schematic of Helping Hands Hospital came up and she nearly whooped out loud. Here was the answer! Finally.  
  
“Mithian? Are you home, darling?”  
  
Mithian started and quickly cleared the schematic off her computer before turning it off and placing it carefully on her desk.  
  
“Mom, I’m in my room. Be right out,” she called back.  
  
Her mother’s disarrayed hair and disheveled clothing caught her by surprise.  
  
“Mother, what happened? Are you all right?”  
  
“Shhh. Calm down. I’m just fine. There was a ruckus in the street on the way home. A protest about another government agency mistreating people. You know, the usual chatter on the street, only this time more people were involved. There was no way around the crowd and they were a bit exuberant. I only got a bit mussed. I’m just fine.”  
  
The normally elegant woman patted her skirt and continued, “Now, what shall we do for dinner, eh?” She walked into the kitchen and touched a glass panel, checking to see what leftovers were inside. Mithian looked on, trying to pull her thoughts together.  
  
“Mom, you said there was a protest over a government agency? Which agency was that?”  
  
“Oh,” Mrs Nemeth said, standing up and then rubbing her forehead, “Uh, Healthy Hearts?”  
  
Mithian swore her heart stopped in that moment. Time slowed. Her vision started to telescope in. She shook her head vigorously and placed her hand on the counter.  
  
“Helping Hands?” she restated, hoping against hope that it wasn’t the hospital her unknown friend was in.  
  
“Oh, yes, that’s right,” her mother said brightly. She turned back to the fridge and Mithian backed up and ran quietly back to her room.  
  
She grabbed her tablet and tapped a search vigorously into the Cortex, as though her actions could make the infernal thing work faster. She swore her heart was going to pound through her chest, so anxious had she become, but she tried to calm herself with deep breaths while waiting for the news to come up.  
  
Finally! There, at the top of the feed was a story about the ruckus in the city that she had almost seen first-hand and that her mother had walked through on the way home. People were protesting the hospital. The signs in the photos said things like, “Free the Guinea Pigs” and “Children are People, not Weapons” and they all bore that Chinese mark for “freedom” as well.  
  
The story didn’t have much information beyond the fact that people were protesting an Alliance organization, which was not much news these days. People were always protesting Alliance organizations. They seemed to think this one was changing children, retooling them in different ways, but that information was just conjecture from the protestors. There wasn’t a reliable source reporting on exactly what the issue was. Mithian was frustrated with all the little bits in front of her. She had pieces of the puzzle, but could not make them cohere.  
  
Anxiety mounting, she couldn’t pay attention to what anyone was saying at dinner. She bolted her food.  
  
“May I be excused? I have a big test in the morning.”  
  
“Of course, dear. Let me know if you need help.”  
  
“Thanks, Dad. I will let you know,” she mumbled as she left the table, dishes in hand. As she walked through the kitchen, she wondered how she was going to figure it all out.  
  
“Start from the beginning,” she told herself.  
  
She closed the door to her bedroom and reached for her tablet once again. It seemed attached to her fingers, of late. This time, she reached for her headphones and jacked them in as well. She brought up her favorite station and got to work.  
  
An hour later she had all her notes arranged in a file that was pitifully short for her liking.  
  
She knew the place was officially called Helping Hands Hospital and that it was run by the Alliance. She knew _where_ it was on the map and now she had a mock up for an access pass and a schematic for the whole building. She also knew that the hospital had very few guards. She wasn’t surprised; she’d always thought the Alliance cheap and overconfident. She wondered if the new symbol was related to all of this. In sum, she had no idea what it all added up to. Mithian spent another hour stewing over what it could all mean while she worked on a fake pass.  
  
*ping*  
  
The small ding pulled her out of her thoughts. Her tablet was flashing. Someone wanted to chat. She looked at the message and sighed. Merlin. Then she brightened as inspiration struck. She almost laughed at herself to think that she was living out a fairy tale -- her the brave princess rescuing the girl in the tower surrounded by knights and magicians.  Well, maybe he would be able to help her pull the pieces together. She hit “accept” and said, “Hi, Merlin.”  
  
“Hey, Myth.”  
  
Guarded, she said, “What do you want?”  
  
“Give me a chance, will you? No need to be so defensive.”  
  
“Sorry. You are right. So, what’s up?”  
  
“Arthur and I are having a party tomorrow night. Want to come?” He waggled his eyebrows at her. “You might have some fun.”  
  
Mithian tugged at her hair. “Um,” she stalled for time as her brain spun.  
  
“Oh, come on. Arthur would have asked you, but he’s emotionally constipated. He’d like to be friends with you, you know. Anyway, what’s more important than a happening party with Arthur and Merlin?”  
  
She appreciated his attempt at light-hearted teasing on the one hand, but felt annoyed knowing the stakes.  
  
“Look, I can’t talk right now, but if you can promise to help me out later, I can come. I need your cryogenic wizardry. I’ll fill you in when I see you. Ok?”  
  
He raised an eyebrow at her, but just said, “Great! I know Arthur would like to see you and you have a way of livening up parties,” and winked at her.  
  
She waved. “Bye, Merlin. See you later.” She hit the “dismiss” button and sighed again.  
  
Exhaustion rolled over her and she realized that she wasn’t going to get anything else done tonight. She put the tablet away and lay back, intending to rest her eyes for a moment before brushing her teeth and getting back into bed.  
  
She awoke with a start. The clock read 3:47. 3:47! Her mouth was dry and her galloping heart was slowing to something normal when she realized she’d been having a very intense dream _with_ that other girl. If she’d not been so focused on freeing the girl, she might have been surprised and even worried. Given the feeling of connection, she found it comforting. It was their only means of contact.  
  
She closed her eyes, reaching out with sleepy tendrils to try to capture the last fragments of it. The girl, Morgana, had been stretching out elegant hands to her. Her green eyes were glowing gold again and the look of terror in them was what had left her mouth dry.  
  
The pressure on her bladder had built uncomfortably, so she dragged herself out of the warm bed, slightly uncomfortable in the cool midnight air. As she relieved herself, she made a decision. Mithian couldn’t wait any longer. She had to get the girl out tonight. She already had her access pass and clothing. All that was left was the layout. She would memorize the schematic and go in tonight. If it all went according to plan, she and Morgana could hide out at the party until they could figure out the next move. Mithian had to get her out.  
  
She spent the day alternating between memorizing the plans and revising her list of things she needed to take with her.  
  
“Mithian, time for dinner!”  
  
“Ok, Mom. Be right there.”  
  
Mithian put the last of her things in order and went to the table. She tried to attend to the conversation, but the list in her brain was distracting her from fully focusing on what was being said.  
  
“Mithian, darling,” her mother said, placing a hand on hers, “Is everything all right? You seem withdrawn lately. You haven’t had a falling out with another friend, have you?”  
  
She smiled sweetly at her mother’s concern. “I’m sorry. I’ve been worried about my school work. I have a big project due soon. But don’t worry, it will be fine and I’m going out to a party at Merlin’s tonight.”  
  
Her mother’s creamy hand patted hers reassuringly. “I’m glad to hear you are getting out with friends.”  
  
****  
  
Mithian got ready for Merlin’s party with no intention of staying there. In the time-old tradition of teens, she was using it as a cover. If all went according to plan, no one would be any the wiser. As she walked out the door, she heard her mother say, “Have fun, but you must be home by 02:00.” She knew this would be the least of her concerns.  
  
Crackling with nervous energy, she decided to walk to Merlin’s. It would be easier and definitely faster to take the masstrans, but she needed to calm down before starting her mission. She didn’t want to fail before she had even started.  
  
She put her earbuds in and set her player to shuffle. Her taste in music was eclectic, but if there was a theme, they all had energy; by the time she arrived at Merlin’s, some of the excess energy had been burned off. After an hour of vigorous dancing with friends, she was starting to find some calm in the middle of her personal storm.  
  
After a couple hours, the party was in full swing and Mithian took the opportunity to slip away. She didn’t think anyone noticed. She didn’t know how anyone _could_ notice, there were so many people there.  
  
This time she walked directly to the masstran, purposefully. She had faith that she would blend in with the third shift workers and in fact, she saw several people dressed in all black, the same way she was. She closed her eyes to recenter herself, knowing her stop would be coming soon, and she felt a hand on her wrist.  
  
The contact was unexpected and brief, but warm and soothing. She did not open her eyes immediately and thus missed whomever it was who had placed his hand on her arm. When she caught sight of a man with wavy brown hair, she wondered if it was the same man who’d given her the information that was going to prove crucial to her this night.  
  
She stepped off the train, fortified. Shadowing two hospital workers, she held her breath as she waved her pass over the detector. “Blip.” The light glowed green and she thought she’d never seen anything so happy.  
  
Once through the door, she headed directly to the upper floor and where she thought the girl was. The compound was straightforward and it was only a few minutes before she stood in front of the door that said, “Group 4.”  
  
Steeling herself, she turned the handle and pushed gently. There were two rows of beds lining the room and a still form on each pallet. As Mithian closed the door behind her, one of the sleepers stirred. She quickly, but quietly, walked over to the bed, confirming that this was Morgana. Terrified green eyes flashed at her. She put her hand over Morgana’s mouth.  
  
“Shhhh. I’m Mithian. You’re coming out with me. Now.”  
  
She tugged on the girl’s soft hand, surprised at the strength she felt there. She even lost a moment, caught up in the rightness of the contact. For the first time since she’d seen those green eyes, she felt peace in her core.  
  
“Come. Now,” she hissed.  
  
Morgana smiled as she recognized Mithian. “Juss a minute,” she replied, a little addled with sleep. “Something important I have to grab.” She reached under her pillow, withdrawing a small white blob.  
  
Mithian was aware of every second ticking past, knowing that time was of the essence.  
  
“We don’t have time. You must come now. Here, put this on over your nightgown. Won’t do to have you running around in your under things at night.”  
  
As Morgana pulled the dress on, Mithian looked around and listened. She was sure they’d be caught from the sound of her heartbeat alone, but nothing seemed out of place, aside from herself.  
  
As they left the room, she ascertained that all were still sleeping.  
  
****  
  
Mithian wasn’t exactly sure how they’d gotten out so easily, but she suspected that they were a test case and her contact had somehow arranged for their safe passage. An hour later, she was back at the party, this time with Morgana in tow. As the girls entered the party, heads turned.  
  
Mithian heard a few wolf whistles and pulled Morgana close to her, both for the girl’s comfort and to let everyone else know Morgana was with her.  
  
Merlin came up, grinning ear to ear, Arthur a fingertip behind.  
  
“Welcome” and “Be our guest,” the boys said simultaneously.  
  
“Merlin, this is my friend Morgana. Is everything ready?”  
  
Although Merlin was acting drunk, his eyes were clear and steady. “Follow me.”  
  
\----  
  
Morgana awoke, cold steam condensing around her, cool droplets clinging to naked flesh, hair wet and clinging to her back. She heard voices, none of them familiar, and she panicked.  
  
“Aaaaaaggggghhhh!” she screamed as she uncurled herself from the box, moist air billowing after her. Another breath, another “Aaaaaagggggghhhh.”  
  
Warm hands touched her shoulders.  
  
“Morgana,” Mithian said gently, “It’s ok. It’s me. Mithian.”  
  
Feral, the touch brought her back to herself.  
  
“Morgana,” she heard, “Look at me.”  
  
She looked into rich brown eyes and remembered. She remembered everything and opened her mouth to scream again, but the warm hands comforted her. She shivered. A blanket appeared. Mithian said “thank you” to someone, but never took her eyes off Morgana. When Mithian handed Morgana her plush white dragon, Morgana let go of a breath she had not realized she’d been holding. Tears came into her eyes and she smiled at her beloved.

**Author's Note:**

> Author's note: I was paired with [susan_voight](http://archiveofourown.org/users/susan_voight/pseuds/susan_voight) and after listening to her voice, was inspired to write a femme centered fic. She and I both had Firefly and Merlin listed as fandoms we would work in and I had been wanting to do a Firefly/Merlin crossover for ages, so this was born. In my head, Mithian and her gang are seniors in high school, so 17-18 years old.
> 
> Reader's note: thanks to jelazakazone for being an enthusiastic and generous collaborator -- including finding the sound effects, which are from [freesfx.co.uk](http://www.freesfx.co.uk) \-- and to mushroomtale for the beautiful art.


End file.
